Two treasure maps

Nezha carried the Heavenly Ring Agarwood Buddha as if he were carrying an insignificant toy, and strode away from the entrance of the Ginkgo Tree Secret Realm. His eyes were firm and cold, as if he was declaring some kind of victory.

If he could purify every immortal who was infected by evil spirits, he believed that this would be a force that could completely counter the demonic world. He would never compromise with the demonic world like Erlang Shen Yang Jian did, and set up a fake heaven to accommodate and hide those who were infected by evil spirits.

As his figure disappeared from sight, the entrance to the secret realm slowly closed, swallowing up all sound and light.

Seeing this, Taiyi Zhenren turned around and took Guo Xiu deeper into the secret realm. Inside the secret realm, the scenery was picturesque, with mountains upon mountains. Some peaks reached the sky, majestic and magnificent; others were flat like hills, lush and green. The gurgling streams in the mountains made clear and pleasant sounds, but with a hint of indescribable weirdness that made people wary.

There was a unique atmosphere in the air, with both the fresh spiritual energy emitted by the immortal cultivators and a faint demonic energy. The two intertwined to form a mysterious and strange atmosphere. Guo Xiu took a deep breath, feeling the breath, frowning slightly, as if thinking about something.

At the foot of the green hills in the secret realm, more than a dozen bamboo houses are arranged in an orderly manner. A Taoist priest dressed in farmer's clothes is taking care of the medicinal garden and vegetable garden around the bamboo house with several disciples. They are busy weeding, watering, and picking. Not far away, a field of spiritual millet sways in the wind, exuding a faint fragrance that makes people feel relaxed and happy.

When the Taoist saw Taiyi Zhenren bringing a stranger in, he was stunned at first, but then he quickly reacted and hurried forward to greet him. His face was filled with a warm smile. After all, there were very few outsiders coming to this secret realm, and even fewer people were personally led in by Master Taiyi Zhenren. He hoped that no matter who the guest was, as long as he could untie the knot in Master's heart, it would be fine.

Then he asked his disciples to prepare tea to entertain the guests who had come from afar.

Taiyi Zhenren brought Guo Xiu to his bamboo house. The bamboo house was quiet and elegant, and the decoration inside was simple yet elegant. A large Tai Chi pattern was hung on the wall, with clear black and white, implying the balance of yin and yang and the harmony of heaven and earth. Next to the pattern was a couplet, the upper couplet read "The breeze brushes the bamboo shadows", the lower couplet read "The bright moon shines on the heart", and the horizontal banner read "The Tao follows nature". The couplet was written in a vigorous and powerful handwriting, revealing a state of transcending the secular world and pursuing the way of nature.

Guo Xiu knew that this couplet was a reflection of Taiyi Zhenren himself. No matter how others speculated, his heart was like the bright moon, and everything went with the flow. It seemed that he would never compromise with the demon world. I remembered that Jiangshan had said that Nezha was a little demon. Just now, Tianjie Chenxiang Buddha seemed to want to say that Nezha was a little demon. Although he didn't say it, the meaning was already very clear. Why was that?

He temporarily gave up thinking and looked around the room where Taiyi Zhenren lived. The room was filled with simple furniture. The bed, table and chairs were all made of bamboo, which was both sturdy and beautiful. On the couch was a chessboard and chess pieces, which looked like someone had just played chess here. Taiyi Zhenren liked quietness and would occasionally play chess with himself to hone his character and understand the Tao.

Guo Xiu looked around and appreciated Taiyi Zhenren's simple life. He sat on one side of the chessboard, his eyes fixed on the chess pieces, and seemed to be thinking about the changes in the game. Seeing this, Taiyi Zhenren didn't bother to be polite with him. He picked up a white piece and said to him, "This is a fragment of the chessboard. How about we play a game?" His tone revealed a kind of expectation and excitement, as if he couldn't wait to compete with Guo Xiu.

Guo Xiu was also a person who loved chess. However, at this moment, he was not thinking about the outcome on the chessboard, but the confusion about the current situation. He put down the chess piece in his hand, turned his eyes to Taiyi Zhenren, and asked anxiously: "Jin Chengping, you should tell me what is going on now? I have been away from the Heavenly Palace for a long time, and I know very little about the things in the Heavenly Palace."

Upon hearing this, Taiyi Zhenren sighed softly, put down the chess piece in his hand, stood up, and motioned Guo Xiu to sit down at the table and chairs nearby. The two sat opposite each other, and after a disciple came in to serve tea, he quietly left.

Inside the bamboo house, the aroma of tea is wafting in the air, clear and mellow, accompanied by the fresh mountain air, giving people an indescribable sense of tranquility and comfort.

Taiyi Zhenren picked up the teacup gracefully, his eyes were deep and peaceful, as if he saw a more distant world through the light green tea. His fingers gently stroked the edge of the teacup, as if he was savoring the texture of the teacup, and also as if he was savoring every bit of life.

Guo Xiu sat opposite him, looking focused and serious. He picked up the teacup and sniffed the tea fragrance, with a satisfied expression on his face. Jin Chengping really had good tea.

He gently sipped the tea, closed his eyes, and savored the taste of the tea. His brows sometimes wrinkled and sometimes relaxed, as if he was thinking about the mystery of the tea ceremony.

The aroma of tea rose up, along with the fresh mountain air, adding a touch of tranquility to the tense conversation.

Taiyi Zhenren spoke slowly: "What do you want to know?" He looked at Guo Xiu with a complicated look in his eyes.

Guo Xiu pondered for a moment, put down his teacup, and replied, "I'll listen to whatever you want to say."

Taiyi Zhenren nodded and slowly said, "Do you know who the Demon Queen is?"

Guo Xiu frowned slightly, his eyes flickered, and asked in confusion: "What do you mean, is it someone I know?"

Taiyi Zhenren nodded and said regretfully: "Yes, she is Yunmeng, the daughter of Taoist Bai'e, the third disciple of Master Tongtian."

"Meng'er?" Guo Xiu heard this, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He could never have imagined that Yun Meng, who was once pure and lovely and had a deep friendship with him, would become the Demon Queen. He pondered for a long time and asked softly: "She...she is possessed by a demon?"

Taiyi Zhenren sighed and continued, "After you got into trouble, a battle to confer the gods took place. In that battle, Yunmeng died and her soul was taken away by the nine-tailed fox. Later, the nine-tailed fox used bamboo to forge her soul, resurrected her, and named her Zhuhun'er. She became the third disciple of the nine-tailed fox, the soul demon, and embarked on the path of evil from then on."

Guo Xiu felt a sharp pain in his heart when he heard this. He could never have imagined that Yun Meng, who had served him and was as beautiful as a fairy, would experience such a tragic fate. He was silent for a moment and asked, "What happened next? How did she become the Demon Queen?"

Taiyi Zhenren stared at the person in front of him closely. He was not sure if this person really knew nothing. He continued, "When she returned to the Heavenly Palace, no one knew she was from the Demon Realm. She looked pure and beautiful, her soul had become an immortal, and she remembered her past life. Everyone accepted her, and many young people were very attentive to her. In the end, she was chosen by the Jade Emperor and entered the Heavenly Palace's harem."

When Guo Xiu heard this, he couldn't help but feel a complex emotion. He felt heartbroken for Yun Meng's experience, and also felt sorry for her choice. He sighed and said, "I didn't expect something like this to happen. No wonder you were so wary of me at the beginning. I'm afraid you were worried that Jiejiao and the Demon Realm had colluded long ago."

Upon hearing this, Taiyi Zhenren nodded slightly and said, "That's true. If you are also the one who came to take my life, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape unscathed."

The two looked at each other in silence, the fragrance of tea filled the air, as if telling the vicissitudes and changes of this world.